That's what I was thinking! Michelle has been VERY fortunate, as has Irina, to have the longetivity they've had. That would not have happened if they were truly injury prone as many other skaters. How can ANYONE, any athlete, endure over 10 years of daily pounding not walk away with much wear and tear on their bodies? It's not natural to rotate 3 times in the air or yank your leg over your head, you know!

I don't know...if I loved my sport and was able to compete at the top, I think I would choose decade of competing for the top of the podium, numerous titles to a flash in the pan, one moment career. Everyone is different, but I'd want to be a legend like Michelle, be mentioned among great athletes and have impact of millions of people, even if that means one day I may have maintenance issues, over a career that results in a blip on the radar screen, maybe win a title or 3, and then retire with serious injuries.

...I think I would choose decade of competing for the top of the podium, numerous titles to a flash in the pan, one moment career. Everyone is different, but I'd want to be a legend like Michelle, be mentioned among great athletes and have impact of millions of people, even if that means one day I may have maintenance issues, over a career that results in a blip on the radar screen, maybe win a title or 3, and then retire with serious injuries.

Absolutely! Both have left their mark by leaving the sport better than they found it and that's awesome.... I have nothing but admiration for Michelle and Irina and will continue to root for these two remarkable young women. While three have OGM and others a lot of hype, press and whatnot ~ Michelle and Irina have had outlandish success at careers doing what they love... a true blessing.

Absolutely! Both have left their mark by leaving the sport better than they found it and that's awesome.... I have nothing but admiration for Michelle and Irina and will continue to root for these two remarkable young women. While three have OGM and others a lot of hype, press and whatnot ~ Michelle and Irina have had outlandish success at careers doing what they love... a true blessing.

I hope that if there is a surgery, it goes well. Unlike with Lipinski and Yagudin, I feel that Michelle is a person to have the sense to listen to doctor&#180;s instructions and patience of not coming onto the ice way too early.

Yeah,
Hopefully she won't repeat Torino where she obviously got back in the game too soon and ended up hurting herself more.

I wish her well. It's probably wishful thinking, but I hope she can come back and at least do one more amatuer competition. Perhaps Nationals 2008, before she hangs up her amatuer skates for good.

Yeah,
Hopefully she won't repeat Torino where she obviously got back in the game too soon and ended up hurting herself more.

I wish her well. It's probably wishful thinking, but I hope she can come back and at least do one more amatuer competition. Perhaps Nationals 2008, before she hangs up her amatuer skates for good.

I don't know why I have to play Devil's advocate here, but, look at Kerrigan, for instance, she's a blip on the screen IMO, but she says she just really wanted to be a wife and mother, and voila, she did, so having no real injuries glided on into adulthood [except maybe a bruised ego via Baiul]. I'd like to ask her opinion on this. Would she rather be injured and stay and stay, or have a handsome husband and kids and whatever else she's involved in.

well since at least 2002 i think it is possible to believe that michelle has been dealing with hip issues in a serious sense, but just never publicly talked about it. all we saw was that she scaled back on competitions and only wanted to do the 'big' ones. until 2005 when all of a sudden she has no choice but to reveal that she is experiencing a serious problem with her hip, and then 2 successive groin injuries. true, for a time it seemed like she would not experience a major injury, but in retrospect the years and years of pounding on the ice and maintaining such a high level of excellence was going to reach its toll at some point. im glad she has taken this step, since she has not been healing as she prolly would have hoped. i will keep her in my thoughts and wish her the best with this surgery. my main hope for her would be that this surgery can relieve her from her pain, and she can take it from there.

I really hope the "hinged Skate" will alleviate allot of this. Something else I point out to people who compare Gymnastics to FS is the surface is padded, spring or mat in Gymnastics, FS is ice - yep the hard kind

doesn't change how dangerous gymnastics can be, especially on that balance beam

Yes but it does say how dangerous it is.

Also, have you ever seen a FSer learning a move with bungie cords / harness attached to both sides of them?

Not saying it isn't dangerous,or in some aspects equally, just a bit more protective aspects around. Opposed to gliding around on two dull "knives" and having no opportunity to land on a "padded surface." Of course FS does not allow flips, of the head over heals type, either. so I would call them fairly even.

well, I'm more inclined to be "wowed" at some of the lifts the pairs attempt (mostly at the failed attempts, too, because it does show how dangerous pairs skating is). Not saying singles isn't, but one can make the argument that any kind of sport or activity poses a danger due to the increased risk of injury. Right?

well, I'm more inclined to be "wowed" at some of the lifts the pairs attempt (mostly at the failed attempts, too, because it does show how dangerous pairs skating is). Not saying singles isn't, but one can make the argument that any kind of sport or activity poses a danger due to the increased risk of injury. Right?

I just said that as a point to people who make the argument it is not that "tough" of a sport. Also what the foot and ankle / hip / back, are landing on, comparable for wear and tear on the body. Impact of feet to a mat.....